American soft drink giant Coca-Cola will close five production and logistics locations in Germany in the coming year.
Factories in Cologne, Neumünster, Berlin, Bielefeld and Memmingen are affected, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).
The company is responsible for bottling, selling and distributing Coca-Cola products in Germany.
A total of 505 jobs will be lost, while 207 will be relocated to other locations and 78 new jobs will be created.
In Cologne, where Coca-Cola operates a production and logistics location with approximately 600 employees, production will be stopped as of March 31, 2025.
With four factories, the density of locations in West Germany is very high, the company said. Cologne is also the smallest company with two production lines and there were no opportunities for expansion or growth.
The closure is intended to strengthen the occupancy rate of the other locations and make production more efficient. In the other four cities affected by the closures, the drinks manufacturer has pure logistics centers.
“We are aware that the planned changes are very painful for the affected employees. This makes it all the more important for us to implement all intended changes in a socially responsible and transparent manner,” said CCEP official Tilmann Rothhammer.
The move is also justified by changes in beverage logistics. Large retail partners are switching from direct delivery to delivery via a central warehouse, while smaller customers are increasingly ordering via wholesalers.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners describes itself as the largest beverage company in Germany, employing approximately 6,500 people at 27 locations, including 14 production plants.